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Selected Verse: John 1:15 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Joh 1:15 |
King James |
John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
A SAYING OF THE BAPTIST CONFIRMATORY OF THIS. (Joh 1:15)
after me--in official manifestation.
before me--in rank and dignity.
for he was before me--in existence; "His goings forth being from of old, from everlasting" (Mic 5:2). (Anything lower than this His words cannot mean); that is, "My Successor is my Superior, for He was my Predecessor." This enigmatic play upon the different senses of the words "before" and "after" was doubtless employed by the Baptist to arrest attention, and rivet the thought; and the Evangelist introduces it just to clinch his own statements. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
John bare witness of him - The evangelist now returns to the testimony of John the Baptist. He had stated that the Word became incarnate, and he now appeals to the testimony of John to show that, thus incarnate, he was the Messiah.
He that cometh after me - He of whom I am the forerunner, or whose way I am come to prepare. See the notes at Mat 3:3.
Is preferred before me - Is superior to me. Most critics have supposed that the words translated "is preferred" relate to "time," and not to "dignity;" meaning that though he came after him publicly, being six months younger than John, as well as entering on his work after John, yet that he had existed long before him. Most, however, have understood it more correctly, as our translators seem to have done, as meaning, He was worthy of more honor than I am.
He was before me - This can refer to nothing but his pre-existence, and can be explained only on the supposition that he existed before John, or, as the evangelist had before shown, from the beginning. He came "after" John in his public ministry and in his human nature, but in his divine nature he had existed long before John had a being - from eternity. We may learn here that it is one mark of the true spirit of a minister of Christ to desire and feel that Christ is always to be preferred to ourselves. We should keep ourselves out of view. The great object is to hold up the Saviour; and however much ministers may be honored or blessed, yet they should lay all at the feet of Jesus, and direct all men to him as the undivided object of affection and honor. It is the business of every Christian, as well as of every Christian minister, to be a witness for Christ, and to endeavor to convince the world that he is worthy of confidence and love. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
As Joh 1:14 is parallel to Joh 1:1-5, so this verse is parallel to Joh 1:6-8, but with an advance of thought. Joh 1:6-8 set forth the Baptist's witness to the Word as the general light of men. This verse gives the Baptist's witness to the personal Word become flesh.
Bare witness (μαρτυρεῖ)
Present tense. Rev., correctly, beareth witness. The present tense describes the witness of the Baptist as abiding. The fact of the Word's becoming flesh is permanently by his testimony.
Cried (κέκραγεν)
See on Mar 5:5; see on Mar 9:24; see on Luk 18:39. The verb denotes an inarticulate utterance as distinguished from words. When used is connection with articulate speech, it is joined with λέγειν or εἰπεῖν, to say, as Luk 7:28, cried, saying. Compare Luk 7:37; Luk 12:44. The crying corresponds with the Baptist's description of himself as a voice (φωνή, sound or tone), Mar 1:3; Luk 3:4; Joh 1:23. The verb is in the perfect tense, but with the usual classical sense of the present.
Was He (ἦν)
The imperfect tense, pointing back to a testimony historically past.
After me (ὀπίσω μου)
Literally, behind me: in His human manifestation.
Is preferred before me (ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν)
Literally, "is become," so Rev., "or is here (compare Joh 6:25) before me." Before is used of time, not of dignity or rank. The expression is enigmatical in form: "my successor is my predecessor." The idea of the superior dignity of Christ is not a necessary inference from His coming after John, as, on that interpretation, the words would imply. On the contrary, the herald who precedes is inferior in dignity to the Prince whom he announces.
For (ὅτι)
Or because. The reason for the preceding statement: the key to the enigma.
He was before me (πρῶτός μου ἦν)
Literally, first in regard of me (Rev., in margin). The reference to dignity would require ἐστίν, is (see Mat 3:11, "is mightier"). A similar expression occurs in Joh 15:18 : the world hated me before (it hated) you (πρῶτον ὑμῶν). The reference is to the pre-existence of Christ. When speaking of Christ's historic manifestation, is become before me, the Baptist says γέγονεν. When speaking of Christ's eternal being, He was before me, he uses ἦν. The meaning is, then, that Christ, in His human manifestation, appeared after John, but, as the Eternal Word, preceded him, because He existed before him. Compare Joh 8:58. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| John cried - With joy and confidence; This is he of whom I said - John had said this before our Lord's baptism, although he then knew him not in person: he knew him first at his baptism, and afterward cried, This is he of whom I said. &c. He is preferred before me - in his office: for he was before me - in his nature. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Of him - The glorious personage before mentioned: John the Baptist, whose history was well known to the persons to whom this Gospel came in the beginning, bare witness; and he cried, - being deeply convinced of the importance and truth of the subject, he delivered his testimony with the utmost zeal and earnestness, - saying, This is he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me - for I am no other than the voice of the crier in the wilderness, Isa 40:3, the forerunner of the Messiah.
Was before me - Speaking by the prophets, and warning your fathers to repent and return to God, as I now warn you; for he was before me - he was from eternity, and from him I have derived both my being and my ministry. |
2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.